Case Study – LEED Gold Certified University Research Facility
Glen Conley
Gregory R. Meyer
Abstract:
Lessons learned / stories from the trenches on a LEED Gold (pending) University Research Office Building
Integrated multi-use facilities are a practical and economical strategy to meeting the needs of university,
science and research constituencies. They can also help schools to further their expansion plans and
address issues of growth.
Leaders of the project team will present the outcome and lessons learned in the formation of a
sustainable academic /research building (University of Rochester's Saunders Clinical Translational
Science Building). The case study project was designed to satisfy a challenging planning and design brief
while adhering to evolving campus planning, utility, sustainability, and design guidelines.
The lessons learned presentation will cover both initial concept/planning issues, as well as real life
application of planned sustainable design measures and LEED credits during project
execution/construction and occupancy, such as:
 How the LEED Application Guide for Multiple and On-Campus Buildings impacts energy
optimization (limit of (2) points unless.. and MEP/HVAC design (to work with available campus
utilities is also to be limited by what sources and equipment your project can take credit for,
etc.))
 Practical limits and applications of indoor air quality management (issues affecting
implementation – move-in schedule, furniture delivery?, climate/weather)
 Opportunities for Innovation credits other than Education/Awareness program – Do your
current good practices qualify? (Green cleaning)
 Does your campus/central chiller plan limit your ability to achieve LEED certification? (quite
possibly)
 Over-rated vs. under-rated LEED credits; which LEED credit/green design measures are the real
ROI ‘winners’
The presentation will conclude with a summary of practical application of LEED credits in terms of their
value and the process required for successful achievement of certification in sustainable design.
Bio:
Glen Conley
Mr. Conley joined Francis Cauffman in 1993 and was promoted to Senior Associate in 2006. A registered
architect since 1991, and LEED Accredited Professional since 2003, he is a key member of Francis
Cauffman’s Science and Technology practice, and has played a pivotal role in the delivery of many of the
firm’s most significant projects.
Mr. Conley’s background in lab planning and design is bolstered by an immersion in the process from
programming and planning through construction and occupancy. As an architect and project manager
he leads the project’s planning and design process for Francis Cauffman, with a focus on research
building design and sustainability. He has overseen the construction and LEED certification of several
significant research laboratory projects including new buildings for the University of Rochester,
University of Pennsylvania, Rochester Institute of Technology, and SUNY University at Buffalo.
Gregory R. Meyer
Project Manager – Campus Planning, Design and Construction Management for the University of
Rochester
After constructing buildings in the Boston area with Turner Construction Company, in 1991, Mr. Meyer
embarked on a career in environmental engineering participating in numerous projects with the Parson
Corporation for the pharmaceutical industry. In 1998, Mr. Meyer then pursued architecture with
projects including the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA; The Broad Institute of MIT and
Harvard in Cambridge, MA; and the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Most currently Mr. Meyer
has completed the design and construction of the Saunders Research Building for the Clinical and
Translational Science Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center.